


A Careful Realignment of the Heart

by katmarajade



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: teddyfest, F/M, Family Drama, First Kiss, Germany, Metamorphmagus, Ministry of Magic, Secrets, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 18:45:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1237051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katmarajade/pseuds/katmarajade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When his daughter seems to be out of control, Minister of Magic Percy Weasley sends his own personal assistant to rein her in. Teddy is not sure how he got this gig, what on earth he's doing in Germany, and why he's suddenly questioning everything about his careful life. Maybe it's time for him to do something impulsive for once, and if anyone can convince him to follow his heart, it's Lucy Weasley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Careful Realignment of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [](http://aigooism.livejournal.com/profile)[**aigooism**](http://aigooism.livejournal.com/) & [](http://tree00faery.livejournal.com/profile)[**tree00faery**](http://tree00faery.livejournal.com/) for their speedy betas! This was written for [](http://teddy-fest.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://teddy-fest.livejournal.com/)**teddy_fest** 2012.

**Percy**

Teddy Lupin was a good, proper, upright young man. The sort a man can trust. The sort a man can count on. That is why Percy Weasley handpicked him out of all the Ministry aides, assistants, and underlings. Teddy had been Percy's trusted aide, Personal Assistant to the Minister of Magic, for four years. However, Percy was willing to sacrifice the perfect tidiness of his well-organised office (well, sacrifice a _bit_ \-- he did have standards, of course) if it meant that something would be done about Lucy. His daughter, the troublemaker.

Lucy was bright, clever, and a born problem-solver—she took after her father in at least that much. However, in every other way she was as different as possible. She'd left Hogwarts a week after her seventeenth birthday, not evening finishing sixth year. She'd left the country entirely for eighteen months, and Percy had been beside himself with worry, convinced that someone had kidnapped her, the daughter of the Minister of Magic. Then she had reappeared a year and a half later, running into Fleur and Victoire at Top Shop in Muggle London, of all places. Not that she'd stuck around for long—she vanished again two weeks later, claiming she'd only popped in for a quick visit.

There was no controlling the girl, and she had no sense of responsibility. She flitted from place to place, never holding down a job, never committing to a thing, doing who-knows-what to support her crazy, unorthodox, irresponsible lifestyle. He heard the stories. He heard from the Italian Minister that she was a known acquaintance of the Sicilian Mafia! His little girl—having dangerous dalliances with known criminals while sipping bloody Chianti! She'd been spotted in Paris, frequenting nightclubs with reputations of lewdness and tawdry dealings. Then it had been Greece, participating in every sort of deplorable bacchanalia. One report said she was doing something called _belly shots_ off the washboard abs of not one but _two_ African princes!

On the eve of his wife's fiftieth birthday, he sent Lucy an invitation to the dinner, knowing that she was unlikely to take time out of her busy world of clubs and sketchy acquaintances for something so humdrum as a proper English roast and almond cake. She sent back a cutesy German birthday card with a cartoon mouse wearing a stupid hat. Audrey smiled with a quiet sadness in her eyes and set the card on the bookshelf, and that was the moment that the dam inside of Percy broke.

It was time for his little girl to come back home, learn some responsibility, learn a sense of duty, and, above all, _grow up_! He'd given her time, space, freedom, and liberty well beyond what she probably deserved. If it meant he had to send his own assistant to dog her every move and keep her on the straight and narrow, then so be it. No more Mr Nice Percy. It was time for the Tough Dad routine.

She wouldn't listen to Percy, so he needed to send someone younger, someone hip to the times who could be cool and make her see how irresponsible she was being. Which is why Percy had chosen Teddy Lupin. He was a young, hip-looking fellow. He didn't wear fang earrings or have large tattoos or wear trousers that were inexplicably too tight _and_ falling off like so many young men these days.

No, Teddy was a strong, reliable sort. He wouldn't be distracted or swayed by Percy's too-charming-for-her-own-good little girl.

With a determined flourish, Percy pulled out his favourite quill and began to write.

>   
> _Dear Mr Theodore Lupin,_
> 
> Due to your exemplary performance in your current duties and your history of responsibility, wisdom, and strength of character, you have been chosen for a mission of utmost importance. Effective immediately you are hereby designated as not only a Personal Assistant but also as an International Agent in the Service of the Minister's Secret Service. This new position requires the utmost discretion. Please report to the Debrief Room on Level 4 ½ at 3:00 pm tomorrow for detailed instructions. Please bring a travel bag (up to two months, temperate climate, pack very lightly please—additional necessities will be provided at your destination) and proper identification and international documents. Good luck on your brave new endeavour and our continued thanks for your valuable service to the Ministry of Magic.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Percy Weasley
> 
> Minister of Magic, Britain
> 
> Esteemed Warlock of the Realm
> 
> Honoured Mugwump
> 
> Order of Merlin, Third Class

 

 

**Lucy**

Teddy Lupin was a stick-in-the-mud dullard who couldn't find a good time if he were dropped into a circus and landed in a giant pile of candy floss. It was inconceivable how a fit, clever, reasonably attractive twenty-something could waste himself on polyester, pocket protectors, and professional filing, but there it was. He was just another Ministry minion plugging along on the Trail of Tearful Boredom For Life and grateful for the opportunity.

It was no shock that her father chose Teddy, the only bloke whose dullness rivalled Mr. Minister of Magic himself, to talk "sense" into his wayward daughter. Honestly, it was a bit of a laugh. Of course, her father was convinced that she was a drunken, demon-possessed floozy. Lucy enjoyed her partying—there was no denying that, but she also revelled in the vein pulsing in her father's forehead whenever another of her sinful escapades was revealed. Wasn't it her duty, just a little, as a daughter to keep her dear dad on his toes? And such fun!

She was walking down Kirschstrasse in Cologne when she noticed a presence behind her. Never faltering in her stride, she casually crossed the street and ducked into a small book shop, taking just a moment to glance at the notices on the window, which gave her a clear view of the stumbling man who was currently apologising to a driver for nearly getting run over. She sighed, shaking in head in a mixture of affectionate amusement and genuine annoyance, but walked back out of the shop, much to the shop owner's chagrin.

"Teddy!" she called brightly, letting him pretend that this was all a huge coincidence.

"Oh! Er, Lucy, hi, I … erm, what a surprise?" Teddy managed, a flush flooding across his pronounced cheekbones.

"Yes, what a lovely coincidence! What are you doing over here? I never would have thought you'd leave London. You know you need to go to a specialty shop to find a decent tea in this place. And I've not seen a single packet of ketchup and anchovy flavoured crisps since arriving. Though, come to think, I'm not sure what the German word for _anchovy_ is, so I might've missed them."

"Oh, right," Teddy looked momentarily pained and she wondered whether it was awkwardness at being found out or if he'd only just realised how difficult procuring a palatable cuppa might be.

"So," she continued with a slightly-too-big smile, "what brings you here, Teddy?"

"Oh, to Cologne, yes, well. Um, Germany is … that is, I've always been … I, er … chocolate!" His eyes lit up triumphantly as he decided on an answer.

"Chocolate? You came all the way to Germany for a bit of chocolate?" she asked, bemused.

"Yes, well, no. There's a chocolate museum here."

She wondered for a moment if he was lying, not having spent much time glancing at the museum list of her guidebook, but he looked so proud of himself and so adorably and strangely cocky that she was inclined to believe him. It was the rather awkward, pleased smile that got her though, which was how she wound up spending the next four hours traipsing through a museum dedicated to chocolate. By the time they reached a giant chocolate fountain at the end, Teddy was half laughing and half hissing dire warnings about how she really should not dive naked into the fountain, no matter how delicious it might look. The bright red blush on his face made her spontaneous, mad suggestion completely worth it.

If he'd actually tried to stop her or lecture her like she was sure her father intended him to, she probably would have bolted that first night. Instead, she agreed to meet up for dinner the next day, then drinks the day after, then lunch at a kebab shop that Teddy swore up and down was vastly superior to anything that he'd ever tried back home.

It was a week later when she was slipping briskly through the lunch hour crowd of well-dressed business types, when she realised her mistake in letting him stay. The week with Teddy had been fun, but she was here for a reason; she had a job to do.

She was mere meters from her destination when she heard the unmistakable thump of a very clumsy fellow colliding with an annoyed but polite German, followed by a very prim-sounding _Sorry! Sorry!_ She tried to hold in her groan—not now! She turned with a tight smile.

"Hi, Teddy."

"Lucy! Fancy meeting you here!" He grinned cheerily. She considered slamming her head against the brick building next to them, but she was unwilling to sacrifice the brain cells, no matter how cluelessly annoying the man was.

Glancing down the street she saw Renard Montalban climb into a waiting town car. This was her best chance during his Thursday noon lunch. She yanked Teddy out of the way of foot traffic and hissed,

"It's very important that I get this job done right now. I do not have time. Wait here. Or don't, whatever. Just _please_ stay out of the way. This is really quite time sensitive." She gave him a pleading look and, when he didn't respond, walked briskly into the building.

She had scoped it out and knew that the receptionist was a sucker for coffee and crap cheap mystery novels.

"Hi! Are you Kathrin?" Lucy asked, smiling brightly. "I found this book on the bench near the bus stop. It had your card in it. Did you lose it?" The girl hadn't, of course. Lucy had nicked it from the poor girl's satchel while she'd waited for the bus, but she figured it was a moral grey area.

It worked like a charm and soon Kathrin was chatting comfortably about her novel and life in general and letting far more slip than she even realised. Lucy managed a spot behind the desk as they continued their conversation over a cuppa (it's Kathrin's usual break time). She'd gotten everything she needed and was just about to leave when a tall, spindly man in a snappy blue suit and a stick up his skinny arse strutted into the room.

 _Crap_ , she thought.

His expression turned even sourer when he spotted her. "You!" he shrieked, pointing right at her. So much for an unnoticed getaway.

"Call security, Kathrin!" he shouted. "She's a police spy!"

Kathrin looked back and forth between them but grabbed the phone as instructed.

"Woah, easy there!" Lucy held up her hands in a calming gesture. "I am not with the police. We were just chatting and I was just about to leave. Ask Kathrin—we discussed absolutely nothing untoward. Just mystery novels and shared appreciation for Darjeeling. I was just dropping something off. I'm leaving."

"You're not going anywhere until Mr Montalban gets to speak with you personally! He knows exactly what you're up to and he's got friends in higher places than you can even dream!"

The high-pitched squeal of the twiggy man in front of her was not terribly intimidating, but Lucy's eyes widen slightly in alarm when Mr Montalban strode back into the building. He was not due back for another hour, and he was a stickler to his routines.

"Mr Montalban!" shouted the scrawny man, looking like a smug cat who's just dropped a dead mouse on his beloved owner's foot and expects praise for a job well done. "I got her!"

"Forget her for the moment," Montalban barked, shocking Lucy and the skinny man both. "I need the notes from yesterday."

"Notes?" Spindle Man's expression was a perfect blend of confusion, suspicion, and obsequiousness.

Mr Montalban stared him down. "You know what I'm talking about," he said quietly in a tone that quite clearly implied that if he didn't, he'd be out of a job.

"Yes, of course!" said the skinny man, nodding and rushing off.

Mr Montalban jerked his head at Lucy and she didn't need a second hint. Out the door in record time, she ducked behind a large chalkboard displaying the daily specials at the adjacent Italian bistro just in time to see a familiar car pull up just down the street.

"What the ..." Then she groaned in realisation. The Mr Montalban from inside appeared in front of her, his big puppy dog eyes looking out of place on the cold, beefy face.

"Teddy," she started but trailed off. He shrugged, obviously proud of his performance.

Suddenly Mr Montalban—the real one—stepped out of the car. In the biggest spy cliché in the book, Lucy grabbed Teddy roughly by the shoulders, pulled them against the brick wall, and began the appearance of earnestly snogging him.

He was startled and let out a little gasp that gave Lucy a peculiar spinning sensation in her belly. She wasn't supposed to enjoy this—it was just an instinctive cover act, but ...

Teddy didn't seem to notice or care that it started as a ruse. His hands slid into her hair and granzed lightly over her neck as he sank into a full-blown kiss. Lucy found herself responding. Their lips and tongues moved frantically, as if their mouths sensed that this might be their only chance at this. Her hands slid down his arms and she could feel him change beneath her. The unfamiliar bulk shifted, the large arms slimming into thinner, more sinewy counterparts. His height dropped a few inches, and she felt it as she straightened, able to more comfortably reach his mouth. She felt the coarse stubble and leathery skin of his assumed face smooth into familiar lines with those high, sharp cheekbones emerging and his lips growing even softer, even more desperate against hers.

It was the strangest sensation and she didn't know if it was the metamorphing or the unorthodox situation or if it were simply that she was kissing _Teddy_ of all people! But when she finally wrenched away, both of them were breathless and his eyes looked just as dazed as she imagined her own to be.

"I did _not_ see that coming," he said, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

"Bloody hell," was all Lucy could manage.

**Teddy**

Teddy Lupin was in _way_ over his head. This was not his MO. He was careful, conscientious, and used his abilities wisely. He thought things through and didn't rush in on a whim. He certainly didn't impulsively metamorph into a very dangerous stranger to save a girl with a too-charming smile; and he definitely didn't fall arse-over-teakettle for a teasing swish of ginger hair and daring brown eyes. No, he'd always thought he'd find himself a nice, sensible girl, perhaps at the Ministry, who liked things like needlepoint and well-organised sock drawers. _That_ was the kind of person everyone (including himself!) thought that Teddy Lupin would end up with.

All those good reasons flew straight out of his mind, however, when Lucy Weasley shoved him against a wall, pressed her incredible breasts up against him, and began snogging him with more passion in that single kiss than Teddy had experienced in the sum of every other kiss he'd had in his entire thirty years.

He was a goner.

Lucy pulled back and gave him a long look: surprised, assessing, and a little bit pleased. Teddy just stared back like an idiot fifth year who'd just gotten his first kiss. She let out a tiny huff of air that sounded like a laugh and Teddy grinned.

He followed her down the street, tucking into another alley and then another, weaving their way through the city. Lucy led him to a nondescript but well-cared-for brick building where she recited a long convoluted pass phrase in a mix of English and German. A doorknob appeared in the heavy front door and Lucy opened it, ushering him in.

"Work," she said simply.

Teddy wasn't sure exactly what to expect. He had been sent to Germany to keep an eye on her and keep her out of trouble. From the details Minister Weasley had provided, he had theorised that Lucy was involved in some sort of sordid, secret affair; or something illicit, illegal, or immoral—or all three. He certainly didn't expect them to be met by a well-dressed wizard in a pinstriped suit and burgundy robes.

The man was a high ranking government official of some kind, higher up than any individual national Ministry. Lucy introduced the man as Dr Wahrfinder. He smiled politely at Teddy and handed him a pristine, embossed business card.

"Miss Weasley, I believe you have information."

"Yes, sir," Lucy answered quickly. A red quill bobbed next to the gentleman's head and scribbled furiously as Lucy recited a long list of what sounded like the most nitpicky and random minor code violations Teddy had ever heard—which was saying something when one had worked for Percy Weasley.

Dr Wahrfinder nodded when she finished. "Very good, Miss Weasley." When he saw Teddy's confused expression, he explained.

"Our agency has good reason to believe this man and many others like him are involved in criminal activities of the worst sort. We go after the big fish, the slippery ones that local law enforcement is unable to pin anything on. Lucy is one of our shining stars. She can walk into a business and identify every tiny thing wrong. We can't arrest them based on the little ordinance violations like blocked handicapped signs, burnt out bulbs in entrance areas, or improperly placed trash receptacles. However, they are often enough to file for a warrant. Upon more detailed looks into their dealings, we're usually able to find something more substantial to nail them on. Once Lucy got the leader of the Magical Mafia incarcerated with a last second spotting of a too-thin cauldron bottom. It was amazing. She knows every rule, major and ridiculously minor. Magical law, international, national, provincial, local, even various union or trade codes.

Teddy raised an eyebrow at Lucy. "I'd never have pegged you as Rule Girl."

"I grew up with the honourable Minister Percy Weasley," Lucy said dryly. "The only way to get around the rules was to know them even better than he did. Plus, I have an eidetic memory, which helps. A lot."

"And here your father thinks you two have nothing in common."

Lucy shrugged but gave him a heart-stopping smile. Dr Wahrfinder continued,

"I've heard you possess abilities that could also prove useful to us."

"Me?"

"Yes, you, Mr Lupin. I assure you that this is a highly reputable organisation, though we operate as far below the radar as possible. We offer training, specialised skills, and a substantial benefits package. The work is by nature quite dangerous, but, for the most part, you're not going after the criminals yourself. You just help us procure information that allows the designated law enforcement agency to do their job. This is, unfortunately, a one-time offer. If you decline, we do request you allow us to remove the memory of our location and mission from your memory. I hope, however, that you will choose to join us. Talk it over with Lucy. It's quite ... rewarding."

Dr Wahrfinder gave Teddy a warm, sly smile, as if he already knew what Teddy would choose and could not be happier about it.

Teddy glanced back and forth between Dr Wahrfinder and Lucy, the gears in his brain whirring at top speed. This was _not_ his MO. He didn't jump into things. He didn't make rash decisions based on gut feelings and impulse. He didn't make irrational life choices because of a pretty girl. He didn't choose to walk into danger. He didn't do any of those things.

Lucy offered him a smile that was really more of a smirk, and, for quite possibly the first time in Teddy's life, he ignored the pro-con-list-making, rational, logical, organised part of himself and went with his gut.

"I'm in," he said, a grin slowly creeping across his face. "I'm in."

**One week later ...**

>   
> _Dear Minister Weasley,_
> 
> Thank you for the wonderful opportunity you offered in letting me work for you. I have learned much from our time together. Now, however, I find that I must move on. New opportunity calls. I regret to inform you that I must tender my resignation, effective immediately. I will continue to keep an eye on your daughter as much as I am able, in a personal capacity if not a professional one. It is worth noting that she is doing far better than rumour might have you believe. I do not think you need to worry about Lucy. She can take care of herself. Thank you again, sir, and best wishes on all future endeavours.
> 
> Yours most sincerely,
> 
> Teddy Lupin

 

**One year later ...**

>   
> 
> 
>   
> _Miss Lucy Anne Weasley_
> 
> and
> 
> Mister Theodore Remus Lupin
> 
> cordially invite you to join them to celebrate their marriage
> 
> on the twelfth of June at three thirty in the afternoon
> 
> at the beach just north of the tree that looks like a dragon on the island of Madrine in the Magical sector of the Virgin Islands.  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Really hope you guys can make it! Love, Lucy & Teddy

A/N: Fun little extra-- I drew a little drawble of Lucy in her wedding dress as a birthday gift for [](http://bendleshnitz1.livejournal.com/profile)[**bendleshnitz1**](http://bendleshnitz1.livejournal.com/), which you can find [here](http://katmarajade.livejournal.com/79314.html#cutid4) if you're interested!  



End file.
